


Black mark

by Fantasticoncer



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Relationships, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Major Character Injury, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Out of Character, Permanent Injury, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24741457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasticoncer/pseuds/Fantasticoncer
Summary: AU where you have a black mark on your skin where your soulmate will touch you for the first timeBucky had always hated his soulmark. It marred the left side of his face, covering his skin in black.He hates it, until he learns the reason why
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 8
Kudos: 229





	Black mark

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise.

Bucky had always hated his soulmark. The black handprint that covered the left side of his face like a scar. Steve liked to joke that his soulmate would be a spitfire, but Bucky was afraid that you would be the sister/relative/best friend of someone whose feelings he hurt. Women always tried to touch his face first, some of them even pretending to see colour appearing, only for him to look into a window or mirror and only see black.

As he grew up, the mark bothered him less and less, but he was still careful. If his mark didn't turn colourful, he wouldn't go on a date with whoever was in front of him at the moment. Steve still hadn't found his soulmate either, his entire right wrist and lower palm coloured black. Steve always liked to imagine how he would meet his soulmate. Bucky recalled him wondering if he would help her up after she had fallen and shaking his head at it. At least, he could imagine fun scenarios. No such luck with him.

When he joined the army, the black palm on his face became a source of fun for some of the harsher soldiers. "Did you break someone's heart before you left, Barnes?" Was an often used jibe, but Bucky ignored it. One of his teammates, Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan patted him on the back. "Don't mind those other guys. I had my soulmark right over my shoulder that was really weird" He told him. "What happened?" Bucky asked.

"She brushed a leaf from my shoulder during fall. Been in love with her ever since." Dum Dum answered with a grin and Bucky grinned back. "You know, you're a nice guy, Barnes. I refuse to believe that your soulmate will slap you." Dum Dum said. "Thanks, but what else could it be?" He asked. "I don't know, but I guess we'll find out one day." Dum Dum answered, before taking a drink. Bucky smirked, before doing the same. 

He and most of his battalion got captured by H.Y.D.R.A soon after and the days after that were woozy, until a very large and strong Steve came to save them. After meeting Johann Schmidt and his horrifically disfigured face, they managed to escape the base and get back to camp. Soon after, Steve formed a team while spending a night at the bar. Bucky and Dum Dum were part of it. Peggy Carter entered the bar and told Steve that Howard Stark wanted to talk to him during the next morning, before walking out and brushing past Bucky. 

Bucky turned to Steve and raised an eyebrow. He quickly shook his head. Nodding in understanding, Bucky prayed for the lucky soul who would get Margaret Carter as his soulmate. She seemed like a spitfire. Dum Dum then pulled him to the table and tried to introduce him to every single lady in the bar, most of which seemed happy to help him. The disappointed looks on Dum Dum's face whenever a woman pulled away told Bucky enough .

When he fell off the train on their mission to capture Zola and into the ravine, he immediately thought of his soulmate, time seeming to slow down as he fell. He thought of what she could look like or where she was. He thought of the fact that she was probably waiting to meet him one day. _I'm sorry, darling._ " He thought as he hit the ground, his left arm getting painfully ripped off in the process.

He didn't die. Instead, he was found by H.Y.D.R.A, who removed his memories and turned him into their personal weapon. Where his mark had been a focus point for jokes and jibes while in the army, it now was the focus of abuse as his handlers loved to hit him there and he quickly learned not to ask questions about it. He trained assassins in the Red Room and met one of the women named Natalia. Her wrist and lower palm were coloured black, which almost reminded him of something, but he didn't know what.

When his handlers noticed, he was wiped again, Natalia being forced to watch. Seventy years passed like this and he met Steve again, the latter having brought a plane down into the artic not long after he had fallen off the train and had been frozen too. His wrist and lower palm were covered in a million colours now. When he asked his latest handler, Alexander Pierce, who the blond man had been after the fight, he got wiped again.

It wasn't until the final fight on the Helicarrier that Bucky finally remembered and recognised his best friend.... after almost killing him. After having to rescue him from the water he had fallen into, Bucky left to find out who he was and found a picture of himself in the Smithsonian. They even got the mark on his face right. He subconsciously touched it for the first time in years, wondering where his soulmate was. 

Steve, of course, found him eventually after several months of searching and after several tense minutes, managed to convince him to go to Avengers tower. Some of the team weren't really certain about him, but most of them were willing to give him a chance. It was there that Steve proudly introduced his soulmate to his best friend, Natasha Romanov, the same woman Bucky had trained years ago. 

Apparently, they had met during the Battle of New York and had touched when Natasha had pulled Steve up from the ground after an alien attack. Bucky immediately grinned at the blond soldier at hearing that. "Well, that's so very interesting, cause he was so certain that he'd be the one who would help you up." He said teasingly, much to Natasha's amusement and Steve's embarrassment. "Oh really?" Natasha asked with a grin, already liking this version of Bucky much more than the assassin who had trained her in the Red Room

Steve quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Buck. Do you want to meet a good friend of mine?" He asked, before already walking away without waiting for an answer from either of them. A laughing Bucky and Natasha followed him, exchanging stories about him on the way there, until the poor man's neck was red and both Bucky and Natasha smirked at that as they entered one of the labs.

You had always hated your soulmark as it was so common. Your whole entire palm was black, from the tips of your fingers to the lower edge of your palm. You supposed that you would shake his hand or something, but after thirty years, you still hadn't met him. Considering that you were a mutant with a prolonged lifespan, you guessed you had plenty of time, but you hated watching everyone get together while you had to wait

You met Steve Rogers while out running. Your mutation gave you enhanced speed as well and you had decided to troll the super-soldier a tiny bit for fun. Whenever he noticed that you were still keeping up with him, he ran a tiny bit faster and got ahead of you. You would run a bit slower to gather your energy, only to quickly catch up to him again. He finally admitted defeat, to which you almost fell to the ground in exhaustion, your stubbornness having prevented you from doing that before that single moment..

He had laughed at that, appreciating your stubbornness as it had reminded him of Bucky. At that point, he had still believed his friend to be dead. It had been an absolute honour to meet him as your grandfather had served with him and had told stories about him. His entire face had immediately lit up at hearing your last name and you had grinned at him, before starting to talk a bit

You mentioned having lost your job at a lab that had been destroyed in the Battle. Soon after, you had suddenly gotten a job offer at Avenger Tower and you could guess who was responsible for that. You were researching something as you heard three people enter. "Hey Dugan." Steve greeted as usual. "What is it, Rogers?" You asked without looking, but you heard another voice speak up before he answered.

"Dugan?" Bucky asked softly, looking at Steve in confusion and he nodded with a smile. "Dum Dum was her grandfather." He answered as you looked at the unfamiliar man and recognised him as Bucky Barnes. "You must be sergeant Barnes. Grandpa always talked about you." You said as you stood up and carefully got closer. You frowned at seeing the absolute pain in his eyes. "My, you have been through a lot, haven't you?" You asked as you reached out without thinking. Steve tried to warn you, but it was too late.

Your hand caressed the left side of his face and he at first flinched, before relaxing slightly and slowly leaning into your touch. You smiled, until you moved your hand slightly and saw colour. You gasped as you pulled your hand away and both Steve and Natasha stared at the myriad of colours on the man's face. "What?" Bucky asked in confusion, before you showed him your now colourful palm. 

"It was black just a few minutes ago." You said and he gently grabbed your hand. He stared at you, before looking into the nearest pane of glass and seeing his colourful face. He looked back at you, before suddenly pulling you into an embrace. You were startled for a moment, before relaxing and hugging him back. "I guess it wasn't a handshake." You muttered and he laughed at hearing it. 

"And I guess that it wasn't a slap." He answered and you smiled at hearing that, before closing your eyes and instinctively snuggling closer to him. Natasha and Steve quietly left to give you some privacy. "I can't believe it was her all this time." Steve muttered and Natasha smiled as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it in answer. "They have each other now. Everything will be fine." She said. He gave her a playfully suspicious look. "Who are you and what have you done with my Natasha?" He asked, making her laugh.

Over the next few weeks, you and Bucky got to know each other and you were there through all the trauma and nightmares his time as the Winter Soldier brought him. One day, you brought him to a graveyard and to your grandfather's grave. "He died several years ago, but he was very happy and I think he would've laughed his ass off at knowing it was you, before threatening to hurt you if you hurt me." You said and he chuckled.

"That sounds like him." He said as you arrived at the right grave. You went first. "Hey grandpa. Guess what? I found my soulmate! And believe it or not, it's your old teammate Bucky. Fate really has a sense of humour." You said with a laugh, before letting Bucky say something. "Hey Dum Dum. Well, as you already heard: your granddaughter is my soulmate. I never thought that I would find her, but I did." He muttered.

"You were right, old friend. It wasn't a slap, but a caress on my cheek. I've only known her for a few weeks, but she has already lit up my life in ways I couldn't even imagine. She stays at my side even when I try to push her away. I promise that I will take care of her and never take her for granted. I've spent enough of my years wasted, so that will never happen again." He continued, looking at you and you smiled as you grabbed his hand and squeezed it.He squeezed back, before looking at the grave one more time and leaving with you.

Over the next few months, the two of you grew close. Where you were, it was certain Bucky would be there too. Sam once called him whipped, until Bucky "casually" asked him whether or not he wanted another car totalled. Sam scowled at him and you laughed. After two years of dating, he took you to central park. All the trees were in bloom and you smiled at the beautiful sightYour smile turned into a gasp as Bucky sank on one knee

Nervously, he asked you to marry him. You quickly nodded, before hugging him tightly. Pulling back, he put the ring on your finger. "Tony helped me choosing it. Watch." He said, before holding your hand a certain way. A rainbow appeared in the air, similar to your marks. You chuckled, before kissing him. He kissed you back, before hugging you again. After all these years, he had finally found you and he couldn't be happier

**Author's Note:**

> Read and review. See you next time


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